Item - Dr. Ralph A. Williams fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Dr. Ralph A. Williams fonds

General material designation

  • Textual record

Parallel title

COA180

Other title information

Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

Level of description

Item

Reference code

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1910-1960 (Creation)
    Creator
    Dr. Ralph Arthur Williams
    Place
    Ingersoll

Physical description area

Physical description

75 cm textual ledgers, mostly consisting of bound volumes

Publisher's series area

Title proper of publisher's series

Parallel titles of publisher's series

Other title information of publisher's series

Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series

Numbering within publisher's series

Note on publisher's series

Archival description area

Name of creator

(1881-1960)

Biographical history

The son of Dr. Joseph Arthur Williams and Eleanor Fullerton (nee), Dr. Ralph Arthur Williams was born in Ingersoll, Ontario on April 29, 1881. He attended public school and high school in Ingersoll, before attending the Toronto Faculty of Medicine, where he graduated in 1906. He later took a post-graduate course in obstetrics at Johns-Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He returned to Ingersoll to practice with his father, whom sadly passed away in 1910, and carried on the practice, at 223 Thames Street South, until he retired due to ill health in 1952. Following the death of his father, he worked with Dr. Harry Garrett Furlong of Ingersoll, and for a short time, Dr. Norman Bethune, whom in fact, took his place in 1919 while Dr. Williams was on vacation. In addition to his private practice, he was one of the medical practitioners in town who was instrumental in the erection of Alexandria Hospital, where he also worked.

On September 3, 1913, he married Constance Jackson Lewis, in New York City. They would have two sons; Jackson Williams born on September 2, 1914 and Ralph Arthur (Peter) Williams Jr. born on January 2, 1917. Sadly, their son Jack would pass away on April 4, 1928 at the age of thirteen, and his wife would pass away a few years later, following a prolonged illness, on June 27, 1936. On May 16, 1945 he married Velma Anne Hughes, who had two sons from a pervious marriage; Ronald H. Sage and F/O William A. Sage.

Dr. R.A. Williams was an ardent sports fan being particularly interested in baseball, and served as President of the Ingersoll Hockey Club, when they were champions of Groups 4, 8 & 9 Intermediate Series O.H.A. in 1908-1909. “[H]is kindly and friendly nature won him countless friends, old and young alike, in all walks of life. Keenly interested in all phases of community life he was always ready to lend a helping hand and encouragement, especially to the young.” – Ingersoll Tribune, March 10, 1960.

A member Trinity United Church, Dr. Ralph Arthur Williams passed away at his home on March 8, 1960 and is buried in the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery.

Custodial history

The records were originally created by Dr. Ralph Arthur Williams of Ingersoll. Following his death in 1960, the records were eventually donated to the Archives at Western University. In November 2022, Western Archives deaccessioned these materials to the Oxford County Archives.

Scope and content

The fonds consists of records related to the medical career of Dr. Ralph A. Williams. They are arranged into the following series:

Series 1: Patient Prescription Payment Ledgers
Series 2: Cash Books and receipts
Series 3: Patient Call Book
Series 4: Correspondence

Notes area

Physical condition

Some of the early bound ledgers are in poor condition with fragile spines. Many have issues with red rot. Please handle with care when accessing.

Immediate source of acquisition

The Oxford County Archives received the records from Western Archives in November 2022.

Arrangement

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

    Location of originals

    Availability of other formats

    Restrictions on access

    The fonds is open to publish research. However, please contact the archivist responsible for the records regarding access, as some materials may be too fragile to handle. The Archives will make every effort to supply reference copies where feasible.

    Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

    Copyright is held by the archives. Researchers are responsible for observing copyright regulations that may apply to the publication of their research. If you wish to publish any of this material, please contact the archivist responsible for the records.

    The Archivist has the right to restrict reproduction if the material is in a fragile condition.

    Finding aids

    A detailed finding aid is available for researchers. Please contact Archives staff for further information.

    Associated materials

    Related materials

    Accruals

    No further accruals are expected.

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Standard number

    Standard number

    COA180

    Access points

    Subject access points

    Place access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Control area

    Description record identifier

    Institution identifier

    Rules or conventions

    Status

    Level of detail

    Dates of creation, revision and deletion

    Language of description

      Script of description

        Sources

        Accession area